Burial apparatus.



T. KEITH.

BURIAL APPARATUS. APPLICATION TILED JULY 31,1911.

1,028,735. I A A Patented June4,1912.-

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T. KEITH." BURI-AL APPARATUS. I I 'APPLIO'ATIION FILED JULY 31, 1911.1,028,735, Patented June 1, 1912. I a SHEETS-sums,

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UNITED STATES PATE T orrios.

TI-IADEUS KEITH; OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BUBIAL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1912.

Application filed July 31, 1911. Serial No. 641,474.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THADEUS KEITH. a

citizen of the United States, residing at.

ratus and in details thereof constructed and,

arranged as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of aburial apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention andshowing it in position for lowering a coffin into agrave. Fig. 2 is aplan view of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of theapparatus located over a grave. Fig. 4L is an end view in cross sectionof the apparatus located over a grave. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail viewin perspective of a portion of the apparatus in which a cofiin issuspended. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view with parts broken away andin section showing one of the supporting bars for a coffin. Fig. 7 is anenlarged detail View in perspective of a portion of one of the uprightsand a weight and cord employed therewith. y

In carrying out the invention an elevated frame is provided which isadapted to be located over a grave, and, as here shown, preferablyconsisting of the slightly inclined pairs of uprights 1 located at theends of the elevated framework and connected by pairs of longitudinalbars 2 and 3 and intervening longitudinally inclined brace bars 4, thepairs of uprights 1 being connected together by cross bars 5. Located ateach end of the framework between the longitudinal bars 2 is a plat-form6 supported on cross bars 7 mounted in the longitudinal bars 2, one ofthe platforms 6 being provided with sets of rollers 8 which enables acoffin placed upon the platform 6 to be pushed forward on to the sameand also ofi of the same to the middle of the frame work as hereinafterset forth. For

ornamental purposes the cross'9 is mounted in the center of theframework upon the cross bar 10 connected to the longitudinal bars 3. o

Located between the platforms 6 are transverse bars 11 on which a coflinis adapted to rest, as shown in Fig. 2, said bars being hinged at oneend by means of a hinge 12 to one of the longitudinal bars 2 and securedat its other end to the other longitudinal bar 2 by a spring actuatedlocking pin 13. The coflin 14. is placed upon the platform 6 and rolledon to and off of the same by means of rollers 8 and is moved to theposition shown in Fig. 2 on the transverse bars 11. In order to move thecoflin and lower it into the grave an apparatus is provided consistingof an iron bar 15 formed with an eye 16 at each end and in conjunctionwith the rod 15 is a rod '17 having curved ends 18. A chain 19 isconnected with each eye 16 of the rod 15 and has at its other enda ring20 which is slid over the curved end 18 of the rod 17, the curved end 18preventing the ring 20 from accidentally slipping off of the end of therod 17. A pair of chains 21 are employed in connect-ion with the rods 15and '17, one end of'said chains 17 being connected by a link 22 with therods 15 and 17 re spectively, and the other end of said chains beingconnected with a cross rod 23 to which is connected one end of ahoisting rope 2 1 which" passes over a roller 25 in the center of thecross bar 10 and extends beneath the same to one end 26 thereof anddownward to a Windlass 27 mounted on one of the longitudinal rods 2. Thewindlass 27 is operated by a toothed wheel 28 on one end thereof whichmeshes with a pinion 29 on a shaft projecting from the longitudinal bar2 and provided with a crank handle 30. Connected to rings 31, which inturn are connected to rings '32, one of which is connected with an eye16 and the other with the rod 17, are cords33 which extend up throughdiagonal hollow rods 34 secured at the lower end to longitudinal bars 3and at the upper end to the upper end of the apparatusl, the cord 33passing over a pulley 35 in the top of the uprights 1 and down through agroove 36 in the upright 1 and having connected to its lower end aweight 37 slidable in the groove 36. Secured to each of the cords 33adjacent to the weight 37 is a flag 38. The

coflin 14, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, is in position to be loweredinto a grave 39.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The elevated frameworkhaving been placed over a grave 39, the coflin 14 is pushed on to theplatform 6 provided with rollers and from thence on the transverse bars10. The chains 19 are then passed about the QOfllIl and a ring 20 isslipped over each end of the rod 17, the rings 33 having been alreadyslipped o-ntothe rod 17. The transverse bars 11 are then released byturning back the pins 13 and swung downward out of the way and thecoffin is lowered into the grave by unwinding the Windlass 27. As thecoffin islowered into the grave the cords 33 draw the weights 37 upwardon the uprights 1 to the top thereof and the flags 38 being carried uptherewith are displayed and indicate that the coffin-has been lowered tothe bottom of the grave. The rings 20 and 33 are then pushed off of therod 17 and the chains '19 and the rods 15 and 17 drawn up out of thegrave by means of the hoist-- ing rope 24:.

It will be seen that by means of the apparatus'hereinbefore describedthat a cofiin may be readily and effectively handled by one'or twopersons and lowered into a grave.

l/Vha-t I claim is;

'-' 1. A burial apparatus comprising an elevated frame-work, a pair ofbars adapted to lie parallel to a coflin, chains connected with one ofsaid bars and detachably connected to the other bar, and adapted to be 1passed under a coffin, hoisting chains connected to said bars, and ahoisting mechanism on said frame work connected with said hoistingchains.

2. A burial apparatus comprising an ele- -vated frame-work, a rod havinga chain connected to each end adapted to extend about a coffin, a secondrod with which said chains are detachably connected said rods arrangedto lie parallel to the length of a coffin, hoisting chains connected tosaid rods, a hoisting rope mounted on said framework, and a Windlass andoperating mechanism connected therewith and mounted on said frame work.

3. A burial apparatus comprising an elevated frame-work, ropes andchains adapted to be secured to a coflin for suspending the same, andhoisting mechanism connected with said ropes and chains, cords mountedon said elevated frame-work and connected with said rods, a windlassconnected with said cords and weights slidable upon. said uprightshaving said cords secured thereto.

i. A burial apparatus comprising an elevated framework havinglongitudinal rods, a pair of rods and chains connected to said rodsand'adapted to be extended beneath the coflin, hoisting chainsconnectedwith said rods, a hoisting mechanism connected. with said hoistingchains, hollow bars extending from the lower part of the framework tothe top of the framework at its ends, grooved uprights at the ends ofthe frame connected at their upper ends to the upper ends of said hollowbars, pulleys at the upper end of said grooved uprights, cords extendingthrough said hollow bars,

and through said grooved uprights and THADEUS KEITH. lVitnesses W. E.WATERS, CHAS. KELLY.

Copies of this patent may be obtainedfor five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, -Washington, D. C.

